Pages

Monday, July 6, 2015

Fellow bloggers, you know how sometimes you get caught up in the Pinterest-y world of doing things? You know, like trying be all things to all people? Sometimes you just gotta re-focus and try again. What I am trying to say is that Gladiator in Heels is no more. My new focus is more in tune with who I really am, what my life is really about and how I want to help others like me.

Monday, January 6, 2014

New Year resolutions are like a double edged sword, they can be good or bad.

Drive by any gym, look at the full parking lot.

Take a look around, people will be out walking, running, doing all sorts of things.

No you're not in the Twilight zone. It's just the beginning of the new year.

Last year, I decided to ditch new year resolutions. My husband encouraged me to join him on something called a One Word challenge.

The One Word challenge is where you pick one word that serves as your focal point, this word provides clarity on all the issues you may need to improve upon in your life. When you think about it, that long list of new year resolutions has several things in common. The One Word challenge sums all of that up, providing a more spread out outline for improvement in your life. You may want to lose weight, you may want to increase your prayer life, you may want to spend more time with your kids, the list goes on and on. It's no wonder, that by March, most people have fallen off the resolution wagon. That list is too demanding! If you're like me, you probably beat yourself up because you can't keep up with such a demanding list.

I was relieved when my husband told me about the challenge. So, I was off and running, running to pick my one word. I was excited. I was ready. I picked my word, SURRENDER.

**Disclaimer** Life gets busy. Things happen, things need to happen, time flies by. Months went by and sometimes I forgot about my One Word.

Honestly, I forgot about any type of resolutions. I simply concentrated on living, on being present.

Everyone should have some type of life plan, something that directs you in the direction you want to go. It's up to each individual to decide the method in which they want to reach their goals. Will that be a list of new year resolutions? Finding your One Word?

Find a method that works for you.
Once you find that method, keep going. I know, life moves at an astounding pace but keep at it.

You see, no matter what challenge we participate in or whatever we put on our long list of resolutions, we must decide if we want change. Once we've decided that, we can do the action that is required to accomplish whatever is in the challenge or on the long list of resolutions.

Over the past few months, life has thrown some serious curve balls my way. I was so ready for 2014 to start just so I could officially close the books on things that happened during the last two months of 2013!

2014 is officially open for business, so now what?

I don't want to overwhelm myself so, I am starting off with writing everything out. In order for me to blog the way I want to blog, I finally created an editorial calendar. I've got my eating plan in order, my workout schedule has been resumed. I am being actively present with my husband and children. I am engaged at work. This workin' mama has got it going on...for now at least. But that's ok.

It's ok because as the year goes on, I will stumble a few times, probably hit my head a few more times. But, the key to my success will be that I keep pushing forward. I'm human, mistakes are bound to happen, as long as I don't camp out in my mistakes. Let's learn the lesson and keep it moving.

Saturday, December 21, 2013

Hope you're not scrambling like Santa! Last minute craft project? Squeezing just one more awesome blog post in before the in-laws head in? Already cooked up some holiday goodies? This is your spot to showcase your work!

Welcome to Week 16 and to the only virtual tailgate party around!

Our team is here to welcome you, be sure to stop by, say hello and follow them:

Saturday, December 14, 2013

Nope, you don't have to sit out in the cold to tailgate. Your opportunity is right here! Think of our hop as a one big virtual tailgate party! Link up your tailgate recipes, DIY decor projects or your best post of the week.

Our team is here to welcome you, be sure to stop by, say hello and follow them:

I
sooooooooooooo wanted the Barbie Dream House! My parents NEVER got it for
me! While my daughter is only 18 months, it is taking all my will power
not to start buying Barbi stuff. However, I am still very
conflicted. Since growing out of my Barbie phase, I became a pretty
liberal feminist and even went to a very liberal all women's college. I
am pretty sure I am going to cave and get her that giant pink sparkly house of
plastic as soon as she is old enough!

My favorite childhood
toys were Barbies, my pink Barbie corvette powerwheels, and my Fisher Price
kitchen. I literally think I played with all of those until they either broke
or grew out of them. I still have my Barbies tucked away somewhere at my mom's
house.

I don't recall a
particular toy that was a "must have" item. Toys were marketed
differently in the 60s and 70s. I do remember going through the Sears
"Wish Book" and putting my initials on the things I liked. One
item that stands out for me was my Crissy doll. She had red hair that you
could pull out to make long or retract for shorter hair. I remember she
had a mod dress and go-go boots. My sister had a blond doll and my cousin
had a dark haired one. My mother had a grand time sewing clothes for
them. We played with them for several years until we outgrew them.

In 1976, I was eight
years old and all I wanted that Christmas was a Bionic Woman doll. I was
thrilled when I got it; she had that lever on the back that made her swing her
arm that held a tennis racket. I played with that doll until it literally
fell apart!

I remember the Christmas
when I was 10, I wanted a Chatty Cathy Doll. She talked, walked and was so
cute. I loved playing with her. It was a very special Christmas, most of
all because my Grandparents were there.

I am a native of Bulgaria. As a child we had an exchange program
with a school Germany. We had a student assigned to be our pen pal. We would
write letters to each other. This was a great cultural exchange for me from a
very early age. I loved hearing about the different customs in a
different country and make a friend at the same time. I also spent some quality
time with my grandmother as she was a Language Arts teacher with German minor,
she was helping me write the letters. I became quite good friends with my pen
pal. We started exchanging gifts as well. One Christmas we had purchased and
sent a Bulgarian traditional folk doll to my German friend. In exchange she
sent me a Barbie doll. It was the time where Barbie dolls were actually hard to
get in my country... so I was beyond myself. I still remember this gift as well
as the wonderful friendship that brought it.

Thursday, December 5, 2013

***Disclaimer***
My picks may be a bit out of the norm, you won't find any Miracle on 34th Street here, I like that movie but it didn't make my list. I also went with my top 7 picks, I know, 7, not 5, not 10 but 7.

Go get your popcorn, relax, get ready for some holiday movie cheer clips!

In no particular order, first up is Scrooged with Bill Murray.

This movie is hilarious but has meaning behind it. It's a remake of the Dickens classic, with a twist. The movie showcases how a meanie turns good, with a little knocking upside the head. Family dysfunction is lurking here...

Speaking of dysfunction...

It's Christmas time with the Griswolds!

Gotta love Aunt Bethany! Her reciting the Pledge of Allegiance instead of saying grace is hilarious!

WARNING: I will be using the word HILARIOUS throughout this post.

So many funny hilarious scenes throughout this movie. The Griswolds show us the effects of having family around for the holidays. They show us that we all have a crazy Cousin Eddie that embarrasses the heck out of us, but in the end, means well.

Ok, my next pick is probably over-played but Christmas doesn't seem like Christmas without watching it.

The clip I've chosen for you is of the gift that keeps on giving, giving light that is, it's the leg lamp!

Ralphie and his folks show us, again, that all families have a tinge of dysfunction. I can relate to the cussing dad!

Again, the family has dysfunction but they mean well. Ralphie standing up for himself to the dad getting him the Red Ryder BB gun, they show us that family sticks together after all is said and done.

This next clip helps keep the true meaning of Christmas before our eyes.

Starting at scene 2:45, Linus breaks it down for us, explaining the arrival of our Saviour. Watching this clip takes me back to my childhood. Amazing, how I watched this as a kid and how my kids watch it. I never grow tired of watching it each year. This movie has a way of making things right in the world. You start to think about how screwed up our world is BUT then you think about what our Saviour did for us. A great movie to usher in Christmas.

But where is the dysfunction?

Did you see that tree? That was dysfunction enough! The group needed to hear the meaning of Christmas because there was dysfunction amongst the group of friends.

Alright, keeping with the cartoon theme, couldn't leave this one out:

Not the full action movie but the original 1966 cartoon. Sometimes originals should be left alone. So, you know the story, mean Mr. Grinch has this teeny tiny lil heart. Goes into Whoville, steals everything, gets bitten by the love bug in the form of Cindy Lou, turns over a new leaf. Something about the nostalgia this one brings up. Again, knowing that I watched this as a kid and hearing my daughter squeal as I play the clip.

WARNING: No laughter allowed at my next pick.

This is not well known, or should I say not known at all. Wasn't even sure I would find the clip on Youtube.

So, here's the story on how this one made my list. Just so happens one day, MonkeyMan and I were home, flipping channels, having a quiet moment where we had control over the TV. This movie caught our eye. The kid is the kid from the Disney channel, well, they're twins. His parents have started to argue a lot and looks like they are headed for divorce. The kid just so happens sees his mom kissing Santa (it's actually his dad), this starts his plot to get them to stop arguing.

Ok, so I'll admit it, this movie is not all that great but it makes me remember that Saturday afternoon with my husband. To me, this represents the season, being together with those you love.

So, I know I said that my picks aren't in any particular type of order but...

Gotta admit, this one has become one of my favs.

Will Ferrell is hilarious, sometimes so annoying that it's just hilarious!

This one has become a classic that just gets us laughing. Buddy the Elf kinda grows on you, in the same way he had to grow on his own dad. The theme again is that even with dysfunction, family still loves. Buddy is different, his family couldn't accept him in the beginning but grew to understand him.

The holiday season has a way of bringing out the dysfunction in every family, my movie picks tells us that.